ci
pher
Plural
ciphers
1
a piece of writing that hides its meaning using a code only certain people can understand
- The spy handed over a cipher that only his contact could read.
- They intercepted a cipher containing the enemy's battle plans.
- The letter looked ordinary, but it was actually a cipher.
- Without the key, the cipher made no sense at all.
- The treasure map was hidden in a cipher.
2
a specific code or set of rules used to disguise the content of a message
- The army developed a new cipher for secure communication.
- The cipher used by the hackers was nearly impossible to crack.
- This cipher replaces each letter with a number.
- He studied ancient ciphers used in the Middle Ages.
- The document described the steps to create the cipher.
Synonyms:
3
someone considered unimportant or lacking any real influence
- He felt like a political cipher in the meeting.
- Without her team, she was just a cipher in the company.
- History has reduced him to a mere cipher.
- They treated the intern as a cipher, ignoring his ideas.
- In the negotiations, he was little more than a cipher.
4
something considered insignificant
- Their opinion was regarded as a cipher in the decision-making process.
- The gesture was symbolic; otherwise, it was a cipher.
- In the large scheme of things, his role was a cipher.
- The minor detail was a cipher compared to the main problem.
5
a number that leaves another number unchanged when added
- Adding a cipher to any number leaves it unchanged.
- The mathematician explained why the cipher is essential in computations.
- A cipher holds a unique position in algebra.
- Historically, the concept of a cipher revolutionized mathematics.
- The equation remained the same after adding a cipher.